Vehicles including automobiles and ATVs require periodic maintenance or other procedures which require the vehicle to be elevated. Professional establishments have vehicle lifts which safely raise a vehicle while supporting the frame of the vehicle. Vehicle owners typically do not have such vehicle lifts at their disposal\al. Nonetheless, owners of the vehicles frequently desire to perform the work themselves. Accordingly, vehicle owners typically use a combination of floor jacks and stands are used.
Floor jacks are very effective at raising a vehicle. The owner must first, however, properly position the jack so as to contact a frame portion of the vehicle. This process is rendered more difficult as many jacks include wheels and the jack tends to move while elevating the jack and prior to contacting the frame. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,175,159 discloses a floor jack which includes wheels to assist in positioning the floor jack. Accordingly, it is possible for the jack to contact non-load bearing portions of the vehicle thereby damaging the vehicle. Positioning the jack also requires the user to lie on the ground in order to visualize the portion of the frame which is to be used to elevate the vehicle. This task can prove to be inconvenient, particularly when the jack subsequently moves prior to contacting the frame of the vehicle.
Moreover, floor jacks are typically not the most stable of platforms. For example, hydraulic floor jacks can leak, thereby allowing a load to lower during use. Additionally, floor jacks are commonly provided with wheels. The wheels are useful in maneuvering a floor jack into position, but also allow for undesired movement of the jack when a load is elevated.
Accordingly, there is a need for a lift system that overcomes one or more of the shortcomings of known systems. It would be beneficial if the system reduced the potential for applying load to non-load bearing vehicle components. It would be further beneficial if the system provided for securely elevating a vehicle and securely maintaining the vehicle in an elevated position.